My Horse In Cantering Mode!

[sally]

A couple times since buying my horse one year ago, he decides he
only wants to canter, no matter what it is you asked for. The first
time he went thru this, I thought it was a sore back,bad saddle
issue...so that trotting may have been difficult and cantering easier. He had some massages,deep muscle work,chiropractic
adjustment and we got
a new saddle.

Recently, I had him checked out by a chiroptractor/vet who marveled at his excellant condition,great back, etc. So I beleive
he is healthy and not in pain. He isa 12 yo Quarter Horse,smart
and clever.

Today, we were trotting over poles, and he decides the lesson
will be cantered. My teacher and I tried several things. 1)If he
decided to canter, I drove him to canter faster. Then gave him
the opportunity to slow down,trot. He would trot for one stride
and immediately canter again. 2) I also tried cantering him in
very small circles, then rewarding him if he came into a trot, by
letting him go straight. He still picked up the canter after a couple
strides.3) I would try to "catch" him as he started to canter with
my outside rein. He still cantered. I placed him in front of poles,
he would canter to the pole and trot over and immediately canter
again. He has a great canter, but it wasn't asked for.4) I also
tried a "correction" of a quick snap of the crop, and shouted NO if he
cantered...that was at the end of my hour, when I was out of
ideas.

Has this happened to anyone else and do you have any ideas
how to handle it, short of quitting the ride!!! Which usually is
not my style.... thanks. Sally

[TheMoose]

Do you have lessons individually?

[IrisSilverMoon]

mmk...first of all don't hit him with the crop to tell him no, a whip isn't supposed to be that kind of punishment, generally it means either go forward, or scoot your shoulder over. If you hit him when he goes faster then he'll probably end up going faster and it won't do much good. if you want to tel him what he's doing is wrong you should hit him with your hand, so the horse isn't confusing what the crop is actually supposed to be.

Next i think what you need to work on is halting, not just going back to the trot, if he canters, stop him, back him up and walk forward. Do the every time, he'll eventually see that it's easier to do what you say rather than be suddenly halted and backed up a bunch of times. If he's ignoring your aids when you ask him to stop, sit up, put one hand on his withers and witht he other hand twist your fingernails up and just move your forearm up keeping your elbow at your side. He should stop quick enough. If you have any other questions feel free to ask!!! :)

[sally]

To answer Moose, this is a private lesson.

The second suggestion makes sense to me, as it is
"making the wrong thing hard, and the right thing easy"
which is what either Buck Brannaman or Lee Smith said.

Halting and backing up is more work for him than circling small
circles or running faster. So iguess Id try that next time....
I didnt do too much crop snapping, so I dont think I messed
him up too much!!....thanks..s.

[FreedomStar]

hmmm, have you tried riding WITHOUT a crop? Because several horses at the riding school where I ride can't be ridden with a crop because they can sense it when you're riding with one and they can sense when youre riding without. I agree with IrisSilverMoon about the halting and backing up. It sounds as if your horse is taking advantage of you. If he has to work and do something he doesn't like everytime he burst off into a canter, then he'll most likely start listening to you. Also, don't work with him until it is the point where you and he are fighting for command. It may be he's taking off because you're clencing the reins too tightly.

[sally]

Well. He gets ridden in a fairly loose rein, light contact, so I cant
say I was giving him that signal. Also I was very relaxed, so
it wasn't that he was running from fear or anything. Or that
he was bracing against or pulling on me. In general, he
tends to be a better listener if I have the crop and it also helps
me tap his shoulder inside if he falls into the middle of the ring.

I think the halting and backing up is the best idea, so far.
I just wish I was inside his head a bit, to figure out why he was
so insistant on the canter.
s.

[saddlesore]

how often is your horse ridden or exercised, does he have too much energy???? i would 've let him continue to canter and not let him slow to a trot when he wanted, continue to canter a little while longer and then slowed him to a trot at your command and continue to trot. if he broke into a canter again, let him canter until he wants to slow down (but don't let him) continue to canter a little while longer and then slow down again at your command, not when he wants to. lots of praise when he listens to you. eventually, he'll come around, but it could take a little time. good luck...

[sally]

Thats pretty much what we did,making him then canter off my
command and praise when he went to a trot....

He has 24 hour turnout, and we ride him about 6 times per week,
almost every day for an hour or two.

Maybe he was just being a goofball?!
s.

[sally]

When he wanted to slow down, I made him canter, then I
told him to slow down, to get a trot, and so we did what you
just said...